Dispensing unit



Jan. 5, 1937. 1 L. B. WHITTAKER 3 D ISPENSiNG UNIT Filed March 4, 1935INVENTOR ZZOYD B.W/UZIKER ATTORNEY 55 tube.

Patented Jan. 5, ,1937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING, UNIT Lloyd B. Whittaker, NewYork, N. -Y. Application March 4, 1935. Serial No. 9,195 2Claims. (01.129-291) This invention relates to dispensing units and has as itsobject a tubular dispensing unit holding a quantity of a dispersiblesubstance, such as a medicinal fluid or cream, whichis to be applied toI 5 an interior part of the body, and permitting direct discharge anddispersion of its contents at the point of application without danger ofcontamination by foreign substances. The foregoing and other objects ofthe invention 10 will be understood from the following description of anexempliflcation thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a complete dispensingunit embodying the invention;

' 16 Fig. 2 is a dispensing unit with its outer covering removed andequipped with a bulb for dis m In accordance with the invention, adispersible substance, such as a medicinal fluid or fluify preparation,that is to be applied to delicate internal parts of the human body, suchas the mouth cavity or nasal cavity of a person, is enclosedin a astubular container which permits direct discharge of its contents at thepoint of its application within the cavity of the body, the exteriorparts of the container which come in contact with delicate interiorparts of the body being kept in clean and so sanitary condition and itscontents being sealed and protected against contamination by a removableflexible coating enclosing the discharge por-' tion of thecontainer. 1

As shown in Fig. 1 the dispensing unit'comprises $6 a cylindrical tubeIII of glass or similar material having at its front 'end a restricteddischarge opening II and at its rear endan' impelling' opening I 2, thetubular vessel containing a dispersible substance l3, such as amedicinal fluid or fluffy cream,

40 which is to be applied to an accessible internal body portion of aperson. The substance is held tightly sealed within the container bymeans'of a cylindrical plug I at the impelling opening of the tube and atubular coating l5 of a flexible charge opening II and extendslengthwise the tube to cover the part of the tube that is inserted intothe cavity where it is to be applied. The plug l4 may be made of aplurality of layers of 50 cotton felt saturated with a filler, such as amixture of petrolatum and melted wax. The impelling opening and theadiacent'rear end of the tube may be likewise enclosed by a flexiblecoating ll, of rubber, likethe'front portion of the The two rubbercoatings l5 and I! are under tension and cling to the exterior of thetube ll), sealing up its interior and protecting the exterior of thetube against contamination. If required, by the consistency of thesubstance, the discharge opening I I may be sealed with a readily 5removable plug is of sealing material, such as paper or rubber, beforethe coating i5 is placed thereon.

- The plug I I which encloses the impelling opening of the tube Illclings tightly to the inner walls of the tube to seal its contents, andhas a fit which permits it to move quickly as a piston to the front endof the tube for discharging the substance I3 through discharge openingII when impelled by air pressure produced by means of a small rubherbulb attached to the impelling opening l2 of the tube.

The fluid dispensing unit may be readily discharged and dispersed at anydesired point in the mouth cavity or any other cavity of the body by 20removing the flexible coatings l5 and I! from the tube I0 and slipping arubber neck 2| of a rubber bulb 22 over the rear end of the tube Ill..The

unit is then inserted into the cavity so that its discharge opening llfaces the interior'body per-,- 25

tion to which it is to be applied, and by squeezing the bulb 22 the plugI4 is impelled by the compressed air from the bulb, the plug l4 actingas a piston and quickly discharging the fluid as desired.

In making the dispensing unit shown in Fig. 1,

.1 preferably proceed as follows: Into a tube I ll,

which is clean on the inside as well as onthe outside, is insertedthrough the rear opening I2 a plug of fluffy soft cotton felt and theplug is driven to the forward end of the tube H) where it rests againstthe discharge opening vI l. A mixture of petrolatum and meltedwax isthen injected through the opening ll into the felt plug l4 until it isfully saturated with the mixture. The plug I4 then forms a pistonfltting the tube and able to slide in sealing engagement with the tubeto its'rear position. The substance l3 with which the tube ill is to befilled is then injected through the front opening ll of the tube, andunder the pressure of the injected substance the plug l4 moves to itsrear position as shown in Fig. 4. If required; the discharge opening isthen plugged up by a layerof paper or rubber l9, and the front part ofthe tube I ll dipped into a bath of latex which adheres to the glasstube. 0n removal from the bath, the latex adhering to the dipped portionof the tube forms the coating l5, sealing the discharge opening II andcovering the exterior of the tube,- protecting it against contamination.By repeating the dipping process, a coating i5 of any required thicknessmay thus be made.

- A coating 1 I over the rear end of the tube In may be formed in asimilar way by dipping the tube in a latex bath. Since the rear end ofthe tube does not come in contact with any body portions, the plug Nforms a suflicient air tight seal protecting the fluid in the interiorof the tube.

Other ways of applying the invention in the way defined by the claimswill suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A medication unit for storing a dispersible medication substance insanitary condition and directly discharging the medication substance atits point of application comprising an elongated tubular casing ofuniform cross-section having a discharge opening at its front end, aplug member of a porous flexible fabric fitting into the rear end ofsaid casing, the entire body of said plug member being saturated with agas tight sealing substance clinging to the walls of said casing andsealing the rear end of said casing, and an expellable medicationsubstance filling the space within said casing between said dischargeopening and said plug member, said plug member constituting a pistonadapted to be impelled by air pressure applied to the rear end of saidcasing through the length of said casing for expelling said medicationsubstance through said discharge opening, and a detachable elasticcoating clinging to said casing walls and constituting an enclosuresealing said discharge opening and a substantial length of said casingwalls.

2. The method oi. preparing a medication unit suitable for storing adispersible medication substance and discharging the stored substance atits point of application which comprises positioning at the dischargeend of a tubular casing a plug of a porous flexible fabric, impregnatingsaid plug with a fluid substance which saturates said porous fabric andconstitutes with said fabric a gas tight seal for said casing, injectingthrough said discharge opening a fluid medication substance for forcingsaid plug to the rear end of said casing while filling said casing withsaid medication substance, and dipping a substantial length of thedischarge end of said casing in a fluid forming a detachable coatingclinging to the exterior of said casing and sealing the discharge endthereof.

LLOFYD B. WHI'I'I'AKER.

